MCI Overhaul: Govt. May Seek Parliament Nod in Winter Session

The government is likely to table the National Medical Commission Bill, 2016 in the coming winter session of the parliament. The Bill seeks to scrap the controversy-ridden Medical Council of India (MCI). It also aims to reform medical education in the country. The Bill is an effort to develop the quality of medical education in the country which in turn will enhance the quality of healthcare and to create a well-functioning and flexible legislative framework to improve the standard of medical education.

India had adopted the Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act, 1956. However, IMC Act has not kept pace with time. The system has undergone various bottlenecks which have serious determinant effects on medical education.

After examining various options and studying the efforts made by the successive governments to improve the legal framework for medical education, Niti Aayog, a high-level committee has proposed to scrap MCI and to replace it with National Medical Commission (NMC). The proposed NMC will act as the regulatory body and will take over the roles and responsibilities of MCI.

According to the proposal, NMC will have 19-20 members including the chairman, and the tenure of each member will be five years. The NMC will have four boards which include undergraduate medical board, postgraduate medical board, the board for registration of medical colleges and accreditation and assessment board.